Melbourne: International students among whom Indians are a large chunk are up in arms against the Australian government as they are not getting travel concessions in public transport.
The states of Victoria and New South Wales, which attract majority of the international students coming to Australia, do not give travel concession while other four states give such benefit.
"It is unfair to deny us travel concession. We are paying huge money towards our studies. We deserve travel concession also," Sanmeet Kaur, a student of Swineburne University, said.
There are about 4.5 lakh international students pursuing education in Australia. They include about 97,000 students from India. International education has emerged as the third highest income generating sector for Australian economy after iron and coal. The government had got AUD 15 billion from this sector in 2008.
India`s Consulate General in Melbourne Anita Nair said that the Indian High Commission in Canberra has already taken up the matter with the federal government there.
"We have taken up the issue. But they are saying it will be a big burden to the tune of three billion dollar a financial year. But our stand is that international students should get the concession," she said.
Most of the students coming to Australia are pursuing studies in Victoria and New South Wales. There are about 48,000 Indian students in Victoria alone.
As accommodation is a big problem in Melbourne, capital of Victoria, the students stay in suburbs and outskirts. They have to commute by public transport system like trains and trams as the taxi fare is too high.
"This has been a long standing problem of the international students. The matter has been taken up before the government but to no avail," Yadu Singh, a Sydney-based cardiologist of Indian origin who champions the causes of Indian students, said. The students on Wednesday took out a huge protest march in Melbourne on the issue.
To travel in the bus, tram or trains, the students have to buy metcard (ticket). Citizens or permanent residents of Australia, students with refugee status, those studying as part of an approved overseas exchange program or student with an Australian Development Scholarship get travel concession. However, the international students do not get the benefit.
In addition, the fare varies according to localities. "Metropolitan Melbourne’s public transport network is divided into two main zones. The cost of a journey depends on which zones are being travelled in. Since I live in zone one, my fare is not as high as for many of my friends who are from zone two," said Sanmeet.
On an average, a student spends around AUD 109 (nearly Rs 4,000) for a monthly ticket for travelling in the public transport. "If there was a concession for international students, we would have pay around half the amount of the ticket with no concession," she said.
A senior official in the Department of Immigration and Citizenship said that the matter is under consideration.
Bureau Report
